When winter’s shadowy fingers
First pursue you down the street
And your boots no longer lie
About the cold around your feet
Do you spare a thought for summer
Whose passage is complete
Whose memories lie in ruins
And whose ruins lie in heat
When winter comes howling in
Alan Hull (Lindisfarne): Winter Song
I confess I’m not a fan of winter, it’s my least favourite season. Yes, I love Christmas: enjoying festive celebrations with family and friends, decorating the house, seeing the lights in London. And I can get pleasure from crisp sunny days, perfect for a walk whether in London or on a Northumberland beach. But I don’t like grey skies, I don’t like the disruption that snow and ice bring, and I especially don’t like the shorter days and longer nights.
We often shorten our winter by taking a trip somewhere hotter either in November or February or both. These trips are the perfect antidote to the winter blues. Warm sunshine, brighter scenes and an insight into countries with not only different climates to our own but also different landscapes, cultures, wildlife and more.
So for John’s Wintery Lens Artists challenge this week I’ve selected some wintery scenes close to home and contrasted them with some shots taken on our winter travels.
Home
Many of my ‘home’ photos were taken very close to our home in Ealing, west London. That includes my feature photo, taken in our local Walpole Park. But as we usually spend a week or so over the New Year in Newcastle, north east England, I’ve included a selection of wintery scenes from there and the nearby coast. One thing I do enjoy is a winter walk on a beach!
Away
You’ll have seen many of my ‘away’ photos before but I’ve chosen them to highlight the contrasts between what winter feels like at home and what we can experience by travelling at this time of year.
Which would you prefer?
Home
Away
Lammas Park in the snow, Ealing, west London
View of the Himalayas near Pokhara, Nepal (my kind of snow!)
A winter day on the Long Sands, Tynemouth, north east England
Cañaveral Beach, Tayrona NP, Colombia
King Edward’s Bay, Tynemouth, north east England
On Baobab Beach, Madagascar
Willow tree with parakeets, by the Thames in Kew, west London
Baobab on French Mountain, near Antsiranana, Madagascar
River Tyne reflections, Tynemouth, north east England
Thu Bồn River, Hoi An, Vietnam
Squirrel, Walpole Park, Ealing, west London
Blue whale off the coast of Baja California, Mexico
Robin, Tynemouth, north east England
Hummingbird, Costa Rica
Cold pigeons, Walpole Park, Ealing, west London
Pigeons flying over Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu, Nepal
Snowy carnation, Ealing, west London
Bougainvillea in Oaxaca, Mexico
Beer in a pub by the Tyne, Newcastle, north east England
Beer at sundown by the Narayani River, Nepal
49 Comments
grandmisadventures
Beautiful pictures all around, but for me nothing is prettier than snow covered trees like your first picture 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Meg 🙂 I agree they are pretty but snow doesn’t stay pretty in London for long! That photo was taken probably less than an hour after the snow fell, it wouldn’t have stayed looking that good for much longer 😆
equinoxio21
A grand selectoin Sarah. Thank you.
(Not sure winter would be my preferred season for a walk on the beach though. 😉)
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you 🙂 I prefer beaches in winter on the whole because the sea is more dramatic then and I don’t have to pick my way over sun-bathers and dodge children’s sandcastles! In hot weather beaches are for sitting in the shade and/or crossing to get in the sea!
equinoxio21
True. I just hadn’t thought about it… I remember my African sea during the Equinox, it was quite dramatic…
thehungrytravellers.blog
I don’t think I need to tell you which one we prefer, do I!? Especially this winter since we’ve been home. So much grey dull lifeless misery that it seems impossible that we’ve only been home nine days. It already feels like too long. Nice comparisons in this collection though….even reminding me that when crisp, bright winter days do come, they are lovely.
Sarah Wilkie
Indeed you don’t Phil! And so far I do think this winter is proving excessively dull, with only a few of those lovely crisp bright days. I’m sure you’ll both be escaping again soon, but meanwhile we’re grateful that you’re in the country long enough for a catch-up in a hopefully cosy pub!
thehungrytravellers.blog
Looking forward to it…!
Sarah Wilkie
As are we!
Sofia Alves
It’s the greyness that does it for me, the incredible darkness too. There’s very little to like but your photos make winter here look more than bearable. Away is better, tho 😀 I love your approach this week, Sarah.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Sofia 🙂 Living in Glasgow your days will be even shorter than ours – I notice the difference even when we visit Newcastle, and you’re further north still! Glad you enjoyed my approach to the challenge.
margaret21
I love the contrasts you bring out between our largely grey winters (in which you have nevertheless found beauty and interest), and the more colourful decembers in warmer parts. But both have their good points as I think you demonstrate!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Margaret 🙂 Yes, it’s our grey skies and short days I dislike, even more than the cold. You can always add extra layers but you can’t magic up blue skies and sunshine!
Rose
I agree with you about winter and relentless gray skies. My heart goes out to the brave little snow-covered carnation. ❤️🌸
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Rose, I know just what you mean about that carnation 😊 With our now milder winters some flowers seem to survive well into the season when in the past frost would have killed them off, so if we get a sudden snowfall like that one they can be caught unawares!
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography
Sarah a great way to shoe the difference between warm and cold winters, and I can agree with everything said about cold winter.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Ritva 🙂 It seems most of us are alike in preferring warm to cold! Btw, I deleted your other comment as it was a duplicate of this. I assume you had problems leaving your comment – I’m promised a fix some time in January but I’ll believe it when I see it!
Marie
Like you, I love our seasonal changes and I’m happy with Christmas at home – but – I’d opt for the away option every time!!!
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, we like Christmas at home, but with a trip to warmer climes lined up for the New Year!
Monkey's Tale
These pictures really prove that you don’t like winter 😊 I’m not a fan either, but we’ve decided to be home for this winter to ski in the Rockies. We’ll see how excited I am about that by mid January. Maggie
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Maggie 😀 I hope you enjoy the skiing but that’s definitely not for me – one of the things I like least about winter is how slippery everything gets underfoot, even on a slightly frosty city pavement!
JohnRH
Excellent! (Looks like a Guinness.)
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks, and well deduced, although knowing that pub it was much more likely to be a locally brewed stout or maybe porter as I usually like to try their real ales when we go there 🙂
bushboy
Love the worldly difference for Winter Sarah
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Brian 🙂
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
I like your arrangement of the contrasts – interesting juxtapositions! I’m not a fan of winter either, but travelling at this time of year always seems more risky in terms of iced up flights, the wrong kind of snow on the rails etc.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Anabel 😊 I do know what you mean about travelling at this time of year – that’s always at the back of our minds as a departure looms! So far we’ve been lucky, apart from February 2022 when we landed back at Gatwick in a very bad storm (we were lucky to land at all!) and there were no trains to London. Cue a very expensive taxi ride. But it could have been worse had the storm happened on our departure day rather than on arrival!
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
Oh yes, it’s always worse on the way out!
Forestwood
The photos in Nepal bring back beautiful memories for me. And of course I am partial to anything resembling snow! The weather is interminably humid here, just at a time when I need more energy for Christmas prep. Nevertheless, I know there are strange ones in the world that love the heat and are energized by it (lol). Enjoyed your photo colleciton, Sarah and best wishes for the festivities.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Amanda 🙂 Oddly, I don’t much like extreme heat either and many of the places we visit in the winter can be too hot for me, but on balance I’d rather that than too cold, and I love the chance to explore other cultures as well as climates! All the best to you too for the holiday season 🎄
Teresa
Great take on the topic, Sarah. I guess in comparison, winter at HOME is great to see in photos while AWAY is a perfect feeling of warmth. Yeah I would prefer to be away for the cold months as well.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Teresa 🙂 You’ve nailed it – cold weather photos can look good but I would rather be feeling warm while looking at them!
Egídio
Sarah, winter away definitely wins! The whole gallery is beautiful, and, like you, I prefer to see snow from a distance such as in your photo of the Himalayas.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Egidio 🙂 Yes, that’s the way to see snow for sure!
restlessjo
I do love your Header photo, though.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you 🙂 Cold weather CAN be beautiful, but the trade-off for me isn’t worth it, on balance!
restlessjo
I would say that these are very unfair comparisons, Sarah, and that no-one in their right mind would choose your bleak winter ones (apart from the squirrel) but I know that there are people who love snow! Fortunately, it takes all kinds to make a world.
Sarah Wilkie
I would agree Jo, but see Alli’s comment below – it does indeed take all kinds!
Tina Schell
Oh my, I did laugh at several of your comparisons Sarah. My husband and I have always done a major trip during the winter and you are so right about the differences. This year, for better or worse, we are heading NORTH (oy) to spend the holidays with family for the first time in years. I know it will be great to see everyone but I will definitely miss our winter getaway. Might just slip in a last minute trip if we can find one 😊. Wonderful images as always and a terrific idea for your approach to the challenge.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Tina 😊 I’m pleased you enjoyed my comparisons! Although I didn’t mention it, we have twice gone north rather than south in the winter, in search of the Northern Lights. We had a failed attempt one year in chilly Iceland, and had much more success the following year in even colder Norway! It was after that we vowed to take winter trips to warmer places rather than colder 😀 I hope you manage to fit in that last minute trip, but if not, I’m sure you’ll enjoy your time with family.
Heyjude
I am in agreement with you about the lack of daylight hours and the long evenings! I feel like I want to hibernate during the winter months and I don’t even like Christmas either! So all in all I prefer your away photos and I love the way you have created this post. Costa Rica is my favourite!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Jude 😊 I’m glad you enjoyed the post and Costa Rica in particular.
Anne Sandler
I guess I’m a homebody. While I like being away, it’s always great to be home again. I love both sets of images, but my vote goes for your London set.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Anne 🙂 Actually at least half of my ‘home’ ones were taken at the other end of the country but I consider Newcastle a second home, and as it has slightly colder and longer winters than London the photo opps are often better at this time of year!
Alli Templeton
Loved this, Sarah. All excellent photos, as always, and a very interesting contrast! I understand why you’re not keen on winter, and sometimes I miss the longer days too, but I do like the fact that we actually HAVE seasons, and that they are very different and distinct, and I feel they all have something to offer. So for me, it’s definitely a vote for HOME! 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Alli 🙂 I do know what you mean about seasons and I’m happy to have them too but I’d like a shorter, milder Winter – maybe more like they have in southern Europe. Although I couldn’t take the heat of their summers!
Alli Templeton
Oh yes, that’s another thing. I can’t bear the heat. 🙂
photobyjohnbo
For me, your question is easily answered! I prefer away. >grin<
Traveling in the winter means warm destinations for me and the lack of snow and ice.
My favorite photo of your gallery is of Lammas Park.
We will be spending a couple of days in London in February, getting ready to board a cruise ship for Florida. We are going out of our way this year to go south this winter. We'll definitely plan to take some warmer outerwear for the city, but it looks like early February is relatively warm. Certainly not like North Dakota..
Sarah Wilkie
The snow you see in Lammas Park is unusual these days. That was taken in early 2021 when we were in Covid lockdown so it was actually rather nice the way it brought everyone out to the park and created a friendly social (and socially-distanced!) atmosphere. That was the last time we had significant snow.
I would never call early February here ‘warm’ but it will be less cold than North Dakota for sure! If you can spare the time and fancy meeting up for a coffee or drink while here, just drop me a line 🙂 We’re going away on the 15th, a little later than normal.